Rachelle Rodriguez, FNP

I love helping patients achieve measurable progress in their body movements and pain levels allowing them to return to the activities they enjoy.

— Rachelle Rodriguez. NP

Rachelle was raised in a small, rural town in southern Oregon. She went to Goldenwest College and earned her Associate’s Degree in Nursing, graduated in 2001 and took the state boards for licensure as a Registered Nurse. She worked for one year at UCI Medical Center in the inpatient adult oncology unit before returning to school to earn her Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing, graduating in May 2004 from California State University, Fullerton. She immediately entered her graduate program and earned her Master’s of Science in Nursing degree from California State University, Fullerton, and in conjunction with University of California, Irvine for the Family Nurse Practitioner Program graduating in August 2006. She obtained the California State Board Certification in December 2006. That was a busy time for her, working full time first in adult oncology, then transferring to Stroke Recovery Research and going to school full time. During that time, she was also instrumental in establishing the International Nursing Honor Society at California State University, Fullerton and was the Inducting President for the Upsilon Beta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, International Nursing Honor Society at California State University, Fullerton.

Upon graduating from her Nurse Practitioner program, she continued to work at UCI Medical Center, as a Nurse Practitioner in the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, working mostly in the outpatient infusion center where she cared for some extremely sick people. After five years there, she made the transition into the physical medicine model and found her niche. She absolutely loves promoting health by healthy living. She sees the great benefit of combining her medical expertise to with the naturopathic model to help restore injuries and give patients the best of both worlds.

Rachelle stays busy with family life and enjoys baking, sewing, and spending time with her husband and kids.

Initially out of high school, she didn’t know what she wanted to do, even though she graduated as class Valedictorian. She moved to Orange County in 1992 and worked for a few years in the mortgage banking industry. She quickly grew bored and restless, and it was at that time she took a new look at opportunities in healthcare and specifically looked at nursing. It was definitely the right choice for her! She absolutely loves helping people in their times of crisis and injury, providing exceptional clinical expertise, as well as emotional support, making a difference in their lives and in their experiences related to health care.

She is grateful she found this specialty within healthcare, because as a nurse, she holds a sacred trust in providing care to individuals during their most vulnerable times. As an Advanced Practice Nurse, a Family Nurse Practitioner, she has the privilege of educating and caring for patients of any age with more autonomy, and in a broader spectrum of practice. She loves to see patients be restored to their optimum health and resume the activities they love, bringing them fulfillment and joy.